Electric furnaces employing electrodes are used in many industries such as the glass industry. With particular reference to a furnace for melting glass, but without limiting the scope of the present invention thereto, it is common to employ an electrode cooling apparatus which is seated in the insulating refractory surrounding the furnace wall. The electrode cooling apparatus has provision for both cooling the electrode and sealing the electrode in the furnace wall so that molten glass does not flow therearound.
In the past, such electrode cooling means have been constructed in such a manner that when an electrode must be changed or when the material sealing the electrode in the cooling means must be replaced, the removal of the electrode cooling means from the insulating refractory surrounding the furnace wall has been a very time-consuming and laborious operation. In fact, it has not been uncommon for such operations to consume up to a day and a half of time.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrode cooling means which permits rapid and easy changing of the electrode and/or replacing of the sealing material.